Trade News
Munich, Germany, 20 September 2010 - Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, today announced it has developed a groundbreaking 110-component calibration gas mixture, which has been granted Guinness World Record status for the greatest number of separate chemical components in a single gas mixture. The calibration standard, part of Linde’s HiQ® specialty gases range, comprises the largest number of components, including over a hundred Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), of any known calibration gas in commercial use today and represents an extraordinary level of technological achievement.
Linde formulated the custom 110-component mixture for TestAmerica who are using the standard in their laboratory for environmental analysis in Austin, Texas. The gas calibration standard will be used to detect and assess VOCs in samples of indoor and ambient air to determine its level of safety and even to identify the potential source of pollution. To produce such a sophisticated and complex mixture of gases requires not only the evaluation of possible interaction of the various components, and subsequent guarantee of mixture stability, but also the accurate manufacture of the final mixture and even the cylinder material selection.
“Linde Gases’ development provided us the capability to have most of these compounds of interest under one analytical standard, cutting the time for set-up and calibration of our own laboratory instruments, and allowing us to run more samples,” commented William Elcoate, TestAmerica’s Air Product Director.
VOCs can emanate from many sources, including consumer products, construction materials and legacy sources of environmental contamination outside and even underneath buildings, for example, fuel leakage from storage tanks. In addition, fuel storage, solvents and certain cleaning materials can have an impact on indoor air quality that may have short or long term health effects on building occupants.
With increasing regulatory requirements, more rigorous demands in measurement and new compounds of concern to evaluate, laboratories performing environmental analysis of air quality are being constantly confronted with new challenges and are under continuous pressure to expand their scope and expertise. Innovative, next generation calibration gas mixtures are essential to enable new air quality analysis technologies and meet the needs of laboratory researchers. Linde plays a pioneering role in the global specialty gases market and these highly innovative gas standards from the SPECTRA range are further evidence of Linde's market leading approach for the environmental sector.
“Calibration is vital in order to produce reliable information about the quality of the environment around us,” said Stephen Mandel, Head of Environmental and Calibration Products, Linde. “Technologically complex and sophisticated gas standards such as Linde’s new 110-component gas mixture are becoming essential to deliver greater efficiency and confidence to laboratories.”
About HiQ®
The HiQ® specialty gases product range from Linde supplies high purity gases, gas mixtures, precision engineered equipment and gas distribution systems, and services and support, to a wide range of industries employing specialty gases applications. It encompasses, but is not limited to, REDLINE® specialty gases equipment, BASELINE® specialty gases regulators, SPECTRA-SEAL® calibration gas mixtures, ECOCYL® portable specialty gases solutions, SPECTRA fine chemical, high purity and VOC calibration gases, plus VERISEQ® pharmaceutical grade gases.
HiQ® represents Linde’s commitment to the highest available quality and global consistency across gases, equipment and services. To learn more, go to http://hiq.linde-gas.com
About TestAmerica
TestAmerica is the leading environmental testing firm in the United States, including 36 laboratories and 33 service centers. TestAmerica provides innovative technical expertise and comprehensive analytical testing services. Specialty analyses include source and ambient air, aquatic toxicity, explosives, specialty organics, dioxins, drinking water, sediments and tissues, emerging contaminants, radiochemistry and mixed waste testing.
TestAmerica affiliate companies include EMLab P&K, the leader in analytical microscopy and indoor air quality; QED Environmental Systems, Inc., the leading supplier of groundwater sampling equipment and remediation pumping systems; TestAmerica Drilling Corp., provider of innovative environmental and geotechnical drilling; and TestAmerica Air Emissions Corp. (METCO Environmental), specialising in air emissions testing. TestAmerica currently employs nearly 2,800 professionals dedicated to exceptional service and solutions for our clients’ environmental testing needs.
About Guinness World Records Guinness World Records is the universally recognised authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is one of the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than three million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer's Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and high score record achievements. The Guinness World Records website ( http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year. Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada's largest privately owned companies which is a conglomerate of interests, including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.
About The Linde Group
The Linde Gases Division, part of the Linde Group, is a leader in the international industrial and healthcare gases markets, providing compressed, bulk, specialty and medical gases, as well as chemicals to virtually all fields of industry globally. The company adds value to its customers’ businesses through the provision of state-of-the-art application technology, process know-how, services and equipment. The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com
Contact:
Susan Brownlow
Public Relations Manager
Mobile: +44 (0)7825 853814
E-Mail: susan.brownlow@linde.com